1. 432 BC – 421 BC The Archidamian War
CLAS/HIST3001
432 BC – 421 BC The Archidamian War

2. The Beginning of the War
Spartan embassy: “Lacedaemon wishes the peace to continue, and there is no reason why it should not, if you would leave the Greeks independent”
Perikles argues that their demands, e.g. to revoke the economic embargo on Megara, are backed by threat of force:
“All claims from an equal, urge upon a neighbour as commands, before any attempt at legal settlement, be they great or be they small, have only one meaning, and that is slavery” (1.141)

3. What is Liberty For a Nation?
If a nation is free to act are its citizens therefore also free?
If a nation is constrained, are its citizens therefore not-free?

4. An Important Point of Textual Criticism
Thucydides did not make the book-divisions of his work
The scholar that did probably mis-read the first line of his 2.1: “The war between the Athenians and the Peloponnesians ... now really begins”
Refers to breaches of treaty at end of Book 1!

5. Battle for Plataea
Why is it of symbolic importance?

6. Strategies Athens becomes an island state Attacks by sea
Ineffective siege by land
Goal is to maintain status quo ante
Sparta aims to goad Athens into land battle in its surrounding land

7. Radical Use of Long Walls

8. Perikles' Funeral Oration
Praises valour of war- dead in context of the values of the Athenian polis:
“what form of government our greatness grew, out of what national habits it sprang – these are the subjects which I may pursue”

9. “The School of Greece”
The Funeral Oration describes the fine internal qualities of the Athenian state. What are these?
Argues that the military and political power of the Athenian state is evidence of the value of the political system:
“the power of the state acquired by these habits proves” the qualities of the Athenian (2.41).
This is an oft-repeated historical theme
Is it justified?

10. The Plague at Athens What effect does it have on the polis?
What do you imagine to be its cause?

11. Pericles' Last Speech 2.60 – 64 What is the theme of his speech?
How does it compare or contrast with the Funeral Oration?
What does the overall composition of Funeral Oration → Plague Narrative → Pericles' Last Speech do to our understanding of Athens?

12. The Battle of Naupactus 429
Goal is to reduce Athens' domination of Corinthian Gulf
70-some Spartan ships defeated by 20 Athenians